Solidify Your Brand Through Search Engine Optimization

Use these methods to achieve a prominent location in search results

The Internet is the modern-day Yellow Pages. The fact that so many people use Internet-based search engines to find businesses makes preparing your site for search engine success a crucial step in executing your web strategy. Search engine optimization (SEO) is not an exact science. The determination of what results a search term will return is multifactorial, but several actions can increase your odds of achieving a high rank. Any organization wants its site to show up as close to the top of the first page of search results as it can.

NorthPoint Domain formats every site we create for SEO, including using the correct page titles, placing the correct meta tags in the code for all content and images, and adding keywords for your site. We also ensure content consistency between each page's title and keywords. We submit the site to search engines right at launch.

Effective SEO is more than just designing your site to be search engine optimized. Your organization can have tremendous influence on your site's search engine success by doing the following:

Use inbound links. The most important factor for search engine ranking today is inbound links. Request that other sites, including affiliated practices and hospitals, referring physicians, accrediting organizations, Facebook or Google+ pages, and insurance profiles, link to yours.

Keep your content fresh. Search engines browse sites using automated tools that identify new content. Adding content also makes your site easier to find.

Increase traffic. More traffic leads to higher search engine rankings. Encourage your staff and your patients to visit your site by providing useful information for them. Direct those on hold to check out your website, and have staff members promote your site. Again, the more useful the information is on the site, the more it will attract patients and consumers.

Use social media. Have a Facebook, Twitter, or Google+ profile? Ask us to link to that from your site.

Consider a Google business listing (www. google.com/places). If you need help with this, contact your Member Services Advisor.

Pay per Click

Google's Pay per Click Adwords service can help increase your site's ranking by driving even more traffic to your site. Adwords is a performance-based advertising model. You bid on key words that, when used in a search, place an ad that links to your site on the right side of the search results page. You specify your daily budget, paying only when someone clicks on your ad. NorthPoint Domain can manage your campaign. If you are interested in learning more about this service, contact Neil Gladstone at (617) 259-3321.

A high rank in search engines requires multiple techniques over time. You need patience because there are no quick returns. But the reward for patience and hard work more than offsets the cost of the effort. In addition to Neil Gladstone, your Member Services Advisor is here to help you with suggestions and implementation at (800) 603-1420.